


It Was Always You

by jaeyongficfest, TheFancyLion



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bakery, Baker Jung Jaehyun, Chef Lee Taeyong, Flashbacks, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Single Parent Lee Taeyong
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:41:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26417356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaeyongficfest/pseuds/jaeyongficfest, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFancyLion/pseuds/TheFancyLion
Summary: After a bad breakup, Lee Taeyong, a famous celebrity chef, moves back to his hometown after 10 years with his 4 year old daughter. He’s surprised to see everything is the same, except for Jung Jaehyun, his childhood best friend’s brother, who has grown into a handsome bakery owner.Or where Taeyong unexpectedly falls for the guy who confessed to him when they were teenagers and he broke his heart.
Relationships: Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Lee Taeyong
Comments: 9
Kudos: 278





	It Was Always You

**Author's Note:**

> It's been a while since I've written something, so I hope you all enjoy esp the prompter <3

It was a long drive from the airport. Taeyong hummed softly to the music as he drove on the highway while his daughter Yura was sleeping soundly in the backseat.

Looking at his surroundings, his hometown looked just about the same as the day he left which was a surprise considering it had been 10 years. It was a struggle at first - moving to a place where he knew no one and having to make new friends - but it was all worth it in the end. 

Taeyong was now one of the most well-known chefs in the country, having written many cookbooks and even had his own line of restaurants. He traveled around the world and participated in many food competitions where he won most of them, the ones he lost either coming in second or third.

Along the way, he met a gorgeous woman. She was an aspiring fashion designer. They clicked almost immediately and shared a lot of the same interests. The two became great friends before Taeyong decided to ask her out on a date. After many dates and getting to know each other better, they made it official.

It was when her fashion career was starting to kick off and Taeyong was the talk of the cooking industry when the news broke out. 

His girlfriend was pregnant.

Taeyong was filled with joy and excitement; it was a dream of his to have a family. He didn't think much of it as he was six years into his career and achieved way more than he thought he would in the time frame that he did.

This meant that having a child wouldn’t be much of a struggle, at least not financially.

His girlfriend on the other hand was more worried and anxious than anything. She was just starting to make a name for herself and having a kid was the last thing on her mind.

Taeyong reassured her though, saying he would be there by her side no matter what, even if it meant having to cancel a few of his schedules.

He thought that would be enough, but he was wrong.

4 years down the line, and his girlfriend wanted to break up. Yura was in her room, having just taken a bath when Taeyong's girlfriend pulled him into the kitchen announcing they needed to talk. 

She argued it wasn't fair that she was never able to make it in the fashion industry after having Yura and Taeyong was still able to thrive. She was throwing things and yelling as she sobbed, the pain bleeding through her voice.

She wanted nothing to do with them anymore. 

Taeyong tried to stop her, telling her they could work this out, but she had her mind made up. His girlfriend began packing her bags when Taeyong stopped her.

He said he would just move back to his hometown and she could keep the place to herself.

That led him to where he was now. On the road, moving back to the place he thought he would never come back to in a million years. 

His hometown was nothing grand. It wasn't small per se, but it wasn't a place where you would find many tourists. It was on the outskirts of the city and not much happened there.

After another hour of driving, Taeyong finally made it to his destination. He texted his best friend that he made it safely before unbuckling his seatbelt and opening up the trunk to take out their suitcases. He opened up the front door and put the suitcases in the house first before going back to wake up Yura.

"Yura?" he said softly as he unbuckled her seatbelt. She didn't budge one bit, still deep in sleep.

Taeyong chuckled, his baby was always a heavy sleeper.

"Lee Yura," he said a little bit louder this time, moving her bangs out of her face. He then took a hold of her little hand and wiggled it back and forth. "We're home." 

She started to squirm. Yura rubbed at her eyes with her free hand before opening them slowly to look at her dad.

"Papa," she blinked several times as she looked around. "Where are we?"

Taeyong smiled. He leaned in and gave his daughter a kiss on the cheek.

"We're at our new house. Do you want to see how it looks?"

The four-year old's eyes widened with excitement. She nodded her head and made a grabbing gesture for her father to pick her up.

Taeyong's smile grew at his daughter's cuteness. He picked her up and made their way into the house.

The place was nice. It was a two bedroom with a big backyard. The rooms were spacious and all of the floors were wooden except for the kitchen and the bathroom which were tile. There was a fireplace in the living room, a laundry room, and two bathrooms; one in the front of the house and one near their bedrooms.

Taeyong's favorite part of the house was the kitchen for obvious reasons. There were plenty of cabinets which meant plenty of space to store his spices and garnishes, a built-in stainless steel microwave, two sinks, and two gas stoves. Not only that, but there were marble countertops as well.

He already had most of their stuff moved in already before he got here with the help of the moving crew and his best friend, but he still had a few things to unpack tomorrow. 

Yura ran straight to her room as soon as her father put her down and Taeyong flopped onto the couch, laying his arm over his eyes. He was drained. Not only was the plane ride long but the drive was too. 

Taeyong would go to sleep as soon as he took a shower and made sure Yura was alright.

His phone notification went off and he took a glance at the message. 

It was Minhyun. He was glad they made it safely and told Taeyong to get some rest along with letting him know that he would be visiting them tomorrow.

The chef could only hope that moving back to his hometown was a good decision and he wouldn't end up regretting it.

  
  


"Oh My God, I can't believe you're back!" Minhyun said as he ran and gave Taeyong a bone crushing hug.

Taeyong giggled, "Honestly, I can't believe it either, but you know, shit happens."

At that, Minhyun backed away and placed his hands on Taeyong's shoulders with a frown on his face.

"I'm so sorry Yong," before Taeyong could brush Minhyun off and say he was over it, Minhyun spoke again, "How's Yura handling everything?"

Taeyong glanced down and sighed before looking back up at his best friend.

"She's actually handling it well. I think it has to do with her hearing everything her mother said."

"Oh Taeyong..." Minhyun’s frown deepened.

"Yeah, she was awake for the whole thing. She hasn't mentioned her mom since."

All Minhyun could do was hold Taeyong as tight as he possible and rub his back.

"I'm glad you guys are back. I think this was a good decision, Yong," Minhyun reassured him.

"I hope so. Not only for me, but Yura too,” Taeyong replied, his expression softening.

They pulled away and Minhyun gazed over Taeyong’s shoulder.

"So... when am I going to meet her?" he asked with anticipation.

Taeyong eyes widened. He forgot this would be the first time Minhyun would meet Yura, having only seen pictures of her.

Well he wouldn't have to wait for long. The sound of tiny footsteps could be heard making their way outside.

Yura had a gigantic smile on her face as she held onto her father's sleeve, jumping up and down. 

"Papa! Papa! Who's this?" she asked, tone laced with curiosity.

Taeyong bent down and picked her up, "Yura, this is papa's best friend Minhyun. You can call him uncle Minhyun if you want."

Yura gasped, "Uncle Minhyun? Nice to meet you!"

"Hi Yura," he cooed. "Aren't you just adorable."

He pitched her cheek which made the four year old giggle.

"Tank you!" she said cutely, holding both of her cheeks. 

"Do you like your new house?" 

Yura nodded, "It's very big." She stretched her arms out as wide as she could to emphasize."I love it."

"That's good to hear. I was hoping your dad would move back and he finally did," Minhyun looked at Taeyong and winked. The chef just rolled his eyes. 

"Let's go inside, okay?" Taeyong faced Yura and nodded his head, his daughter doing the same afterwards.

The rest of the boxes came today. Minhyun and Taeyong were just getting done unpacking and putting everything in place while Yura was in the living room playing on her tablet.

The childhood best friends sat down at the kitchen table, Taeyong having an iced coffee in his hand and Minhyun a pepsi.

Taeyong took a sip of his coffee before clearing his throat.

"How is Jaehyun?" he asked hesitantly.

Minhyun stopped drinking his Pepsi for a split second before drinking some more then putting the drink down. "He's doing just fine. He has a job that he loves and he is happy. That’s pretty much it."

Taeyong just nodded. "Uh, that's good." He looked down at the table, swirling his coffee around.

Minhyun took another sip of his soda, "Yeah. By the way, you should check out the bakery down the street. I know how much you love sweets and that place has the best desserts in town."

Taeyong perked up, "Really? Where is it?"

"I'll text you the address. You probably passed it on your way here. It's called Sweet Dreams Bakery."

"I'll probably check it out tonight, might take Yura with me too," said Taeyong.

"Cool. Text me afterwards to let me know how it went," Minhyun looked at his phone. "I have to go soon. There's a new assistant at the dentist's office and they want me to make sure she knows what she's doing." He stood up and stretched his arms, pushing in the chair

Taeyong took a last sip of his watered down coffee before hugging Minhyun one last time.

"Okay. I hope it goes well," he uttered, giving his best friend’s shoulder a squeeze.

"Thanks," Minhyun smiled. "I'm really glad you're back, man."

Taeyong rolled his eyes, "I know. You said they like a thousand times today."

"Oh whatever. You know you've missed me and this town. You've been here your whole life. It only makes sense to come back and let your daughter experience what you did too."

Taeyong shrugged, "Ehh, I don’t know. It feels weird being back."

"What do you mean?"

"Just- uh, nevermind," Taeyong shook his head. "I think I'm still a bit tired from yesterday that's all."

"Well okay. Maybe going to the bakery will help," Minhyun shrugged before walking up to Yura and poking her stomach, making her giggle and squirm. "I have to go, Yura. Goodnight.”

Yura smiled, “Goodnight.”

Minhyun drove off, but not without leaving Taeyong a text message of the bakery’s address before he left.

  
  


After making dinner and watching Disney Princess movies with Yura who was now fast asleep, Taeyong decided it would be a good time to go to the bakery. 

He planned on bringing Yura, but would wait to do that another time only if the bakery was really worth coming back to.

Taeyong tucked her in bed and planted a kiss on her forehead before getting his car keys and leaving.

The bakery was only a ten minute drive, Taeyong arriving just an hour before closing time.

The exterior was cute. The walls were colored in a pretty baby pink with purple, pink, and red flowers decorating the rim of the roof. The chef walked inside, the wind chimes ringing as he stepped in.

The interior was even cuter. Shades of blue and pink decorated the walls and clouds were painted on the ceiling. The chairs and tables were the same baby pink as the exterior and the place smelled heavenly.

Luckily for Taeyong, there were only two people in line, so he had enough time to look at the menu as he waited.

There were plenty of things to choose from and he would make it a must to try absolutely everything on the menu. He skimmed over it once more as the line became shorter, now only one person in front of him. 

He decided he would buy two dark chocolate muffins for him and Yura and a cannoli for himself.

Taeyong pulled out his phone to text Minhyun that he really liked the place so far when he was interrupted by a baritone voice.

"Hi, are you ready to order?"

"Uh, yes, sorry," he barely looked at the baker before focusing his attention back on his phone, rushing to put it back into his coat pocket. He would just have to text Minhyun later. 

Straightening out his coat, he finally took a glimpse at the baker. "Jaehyun?"

The baker, who was tapping his finger along to the music, halted his movements. Taeyong felt his shoulders tense up as the comfortable atmosphere of the bakery turned into one full of tension and awkwardness. 

The last time Taeyong and Jaehyun saw each other, they did not end on good terms. It was a moment Taeyong tried to push to the back of his mind, but it hit him like a ton of bricks all over again.

_ He had just graduated from high school a week ago. He had his mind already set on what he wanted to do and would be moving out of the country to attend his dream culinary school. With the help of his parents, Taeyong had packed all of his belongings and now all the high school graduate had to do was say his goodbyes. _

_ His parents thought about throwing him a going away party but Taeyong wasn't big on parties, so he decided a small get together would be better. _

_ After eating some pizza and having a slice of strawberry cake for desert, Taeyong said goodbye to most of his friends and classmates.  _

_ Minhyun hugged him for what seemed like hours, not wanting to let his best friend go. Taeyong gave him a reassuring squeeze, telling him he would keep in touch and the tall male gave him a sad smile, eyes filled with tears threatening to fall. _

_ Before Taeyong completely detached himself from his friend, Minhyun told him someone was waiting for him outside on the porch. _

_ He raised a brow but didn't question it. He made his way through the crowd of people, still congratulating him on his success and wishing him well. _

_ Taeyong opened the door and was met with the backside of someone with black hair sitting on the stairs. He closed the door quietly and sat next to the person who he knew too well. _

_ "Hey Jae," he murmured, turning to look at the younger boy. _

_ Jaehyun, being Minhyun's younger brother, Taeyong and him got close easily.  _

_ Ever since they were kids, whenever Taeyong would come to their house, he would not only play with Minhyun but Jaehyun too since he didn't want him to be lonely while his brother invited friends over. _

_ Jaehyun was on the more reserved side, but he started opening up as he got older. He began inviting his own friends over, but Taeyong was still there for him both in school and out. _

_ They bonded over their love for cooking and would show each other new recipes they found whenever they had the chance. Jaehyun also loved to bake and would make all kinds of sweets for Taeyong when he would come over, sometimes the older leading a helping hand. _

_ Jaehyun confided in Taeyong, telling him of his wish to own his very own bakery. Taeyong believed he could do it and would succeed because Jaehyun was hardworking and determined just like him. _

_ These past couple of weeks he hadn’t seen Jaehyun or talked to him as much since he was busy preparing for graduation and getting his shit together to get ready to go to culinary school. _

_ Sitting down next to the younger, he doesn't know what to expect. Usually Taeyong was comfortable with Jaehyun but something felt off. _

_ Jaehyun looked like he had a lot on his mind, looking out into the distance. He sighed, finally speaking after a beat or two, "Hey hyung," a forced grin etching across his face. "Congratulations." _

_ Taeyong grinned back, "Thanks, Jaehyunnie." He worked his arm around Jaehyun's shoulder, giving him a side hug. "Min said you were out here waiting for me. Something you need to tell me?" _

_ He looked at Jaehyun curiously, not minding the time for him to leave slowly ticking away. _

_ The younger sighed again, looking down at his feet before looking at Taeyong, expression unreadable. _

_ "I'm not the best with words and I don't want to keep you waiting, so I'm just going to flat out say it. I really like you, Taeyong. Like, a lot. Hell, I-, "Jaehyun chuckled, sounding pained. "I think I might actually love you."  _

_ Taeyong didn't know what to say, so he remained silent, waiting for Jaehyun to continue. _

_ "I- gosh, it's so hard for me to do this, fuck," Jaehyun muttered. "This is the first time I'm ever confessing my feelings for someone and I know you're leaving soon, but I just couldn't hold it in any longer. I know this might be a lot, and yeah, I'm still in high school and you're on your way to college, but I just had to let you know." _

_ When it seemed like Jaehyun was done rambling, Taeyong let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Jaehyun was staring daggers into the side of his face while Taeyong played with the hem of his shirt, looking everywhere but at the boy who just confessed to him. _

_ Taeyong was lost in his thoughts.  _

_ Was Jaehyun looking for a response or did he just want to let Taeyong know how he felt before he left? _

_ Fuck. _

_ Now his head was going to be in jambles while on his plane ride. _

_ The tension in the air was almost suffocating and the time for Taeyong to leave was only getting closer.  _

_ "Uh-" Taeyong tried to speak, but nothing was coming out. It had never been this deafening betweening them before. His heart was beating out of his chest and he could feel beads of sweat forming on his forehead. _

_ Jaehyun took a hold of Taeyong’s fidgety hand and made the older look up at him. _

_ "Taeyong, do you feel anything for me? Even in the slightest?" _

_ Jaehyun's eyes were frantic, looking back and forth between Taeyong's to see if he could read what was going through his mind. _

_ Taeyong took a quick glance at his watch, a good 15 minutes before he had to leave. He needed to wrap this up. He shifted so he was facing Jaehyun. _

_ "Of course I do, Jae. You're my friend, I care for you," Taeyong said. _

_ Jaehyun deflated, "No, not like that. I'm talking about having feelings for me like wanting to hold my hand, take me out on dates, and kiss me until we're both left breathless. Feelings like that." _

_ Taeyong stared into Jaehyun's eyes. They were full of hope, but also panic. All Taeyong could hear was the clicking of a clock in his ears and he just wanted it to stop. _

_ He squeezed Jaehyun's hand before letting go.  _

_ "Jaehyun, I-I'm sorry," Taeyong hated the way Jaehyun's eyes started to glaze over. He looked like a kicked puppy. Taeyong hated that he was the reason Jaehyun was looking so torn down. _

_ "I- shit, I've always seen you as like a little brother to me. You're so cute and I've always wanted to protect you. I'm sorry I can't reciprocate your feelings. There's someone out there for you and I just want you to be happy." _

_ "Taeyong-" _

_ "I'm sorry, but I have to go," Taeyong stood up and brushed the back of his pants off. "Look after your brother for me, yeah? Take care of yourself too. Find someone that will make you happy. You're going to achieve wonderful things, Jae." _

_ And without looking back, he left just like that.  _

It happened 10 years ago. 

Jaehyun was sixteen and Taeyong was seventeen, a month away from turning eighteen.

Taeyong knew he shouldn't dwell on the memory too much, but he really did feel like shit for leaving like that.

Now, here he was face to face with the said male whom he broke his heart and maybe even ruined their friendship.

Jaehyun probably hated him.

Taeyong was ready for the younger to tell him to screw off and to never step foot in the bakery again, but was met with a pair of welcoming eyes.

"Taeyong? Wow, crazy to see you here," Jaehyun said, breaking into a warm smile that showed his signature dimples.

The tension quickly evaporated and Taeyong took a deep breath, relaxing his shoulders. 

"Uh, yeah, crazy to see you here too," Taeyong rubbed the back of his neck. "Minhyun didn't tell me you were working here."

"Oh, you spoke to my brother? Huh, he didn't tell me you were in town," Jaehyun frowned.

"About that... I actually moved back."

Jaehyun's shock was evident on his face, eyebrows shooting up and eyes widening. "What, really? Why?"

Taeyong was taken aback by that, brows furrowing.

Jaehyun quickly backtracked, waving his hands frantically. "Not to be rude or anything. I mean, it's been 10 years. I thought you were completely done with this town, so I'm just surprised to hear you've moved back," he shrugged.

"Well, shit happens," Taeyong shrugged back. "I thought this would be the best decision for me and my daughter.”

Jaehyun froze for a split second but quickly composed himself. "Oh, well, uh, I hope it works out for you guys.” 

Jaehyun smiled again, looking somewhat forceful, but Taeyong dismissed it.

"Thanks," he said, getting ready to ask Jaehyun a question when the wind chimes ringed and two other customers walked in. 

Taeyong didn't want to keep them waiting so he cut their conversation short and ordered the two dark chocolate muffins and a cannoli like he planned.

"Is that all?" Jaehyun asked.

"Yeah, that's it," Taeyong assured.

Jaehyun nodded, he started ringing up the order when he stopped briefly, "Taeyong," he called. The older getting ready to take out his phone looked up. "I'm going to give you a discount."

"Oh no, you don't have to do that-"

Jaehyun laughed, "Actually, it's a new customer discount. I do it for all customers when it's their first time here."

"Oh... well, that's great," Taeyong chirped. 

"Yeah, so your total is $8."

Taeyong handed him the change and moved to the side as he waited for his treats while Jaehyun got the rest of the orders.

As he waited, he decided to secretly gaze at the younger.

A lot had changed.

For one, Jaehyun was now taller than Taeyong by two or three inches. He let his eyes roam further down, stopping at the baker’s arms which were on full display in the short sleeve shirt Jaehyun was wearing. He guessed the younger started hitting the gym, because his once thin arms were now muscular. 

The biggest difference though would have to be Jaehyun's slim face. He no longer had full and chubby cheeks which made Taeyong kinda sad..

They were the main reason why he found Jaehyun to be so cute when he was younger and he always had to hold himself back from pitching them.

Now, Taeyong could no longer say Jaehyun was cute, but instead, handsome. Maybe even charming.

It was nice to see he was doing well.

Taeyong still couldn’t believe this was happening. He felt like he was in a dream. He thought seeing Jaehyun again would be hell, but it's anything opposite that, and frankly, he's relieved.

Maybe there's still hope for their friendship.

Taeyong was pulled out of his thoughts by said person.

"Here you go," Jaehyun handed him two bags, dimpled smile on display.

"Thank you," Taeyong said happily.

"I'll see you around?" Jaehyun asked with a hint of hesitancy.

The corner's of Taeyong's mouth pulled upwards, "Definitely. I'll bring my daughter here sometime, she'll love it."

Jaehyun beamed, "Great. I can't wait to meet her." 

Taeyong started walking away, the bakery's music slowly fading away. He came to an abrupt stop when his name was called. 

He turned around and saw Jaehyun in the same spot. Taeyong furrowed his brow.

The baker stuffed his hands in his pockets, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

"I'm happy you're back."

  
  


As soon as Taeyong got home, he gave Minhyun an earful.

"How come you forgot to tell me Jaehyun worked at the bakery?"

"Uh, it slipped my mind," was all the dentist could say.

Taeyong huffed, not believing his best friend.

"Okay, fine. Jaehyun actually owns the place but I'm guessing it well though?"

Taeyong’s eyes widened, "He- Um, yeah… it did," 

"See, you guys are all good. Anyways, I'm still at work. This assistant has a lot to learn and I'm starting to get a headache. Get some rest, I'll call you tomorrow."

"Alright," Taeyong hung up the call, taking off his jacket.

He took out his muffin and cannoli from the bag that he had placed on the counter, putting Yura's muffin in the fridge for later.

Taeyong took a bite out of the muffin first, and holy, it was probably the best dark chocolate muffin he had ever tasted in his life. The flavor filled his mouth, leaving him wanting more after every bite. 

He devoured it in minutes.

Taeyong took out the cannoli, groaning as his stomach started to hurt but he would make room for his last dessert. 

The cannoli was just as good. The filling was delicious and absolutely creamy, the shell had just the right amount of crunch to it, and the chocolate chips were as sweet as could be.

Taeyong wiped off his face with a napkin, stumbling over to the couch as his footsteps seemed heavier due to the fullness of his stomach.

He took out his phone to text Jaehyun that the food was great.

The chef scrolled through his contacts, looking for the younger's number when he realized he didn't have it.

Taeyong would just have to ask for his number the next time he went to the bakery.

He fell asleep on the couch, nice and full, having dreams of dark chocolate muffins and cannolis.

  
  


It was two days from his encounter with Jaehyun.

Taeyong and Yura would be going to the Sweet Dreams Bakery today in hopes of getting more dark chocolate muffins and even trying other sweets.

Yura wouldn't stop talking about the dark chocolate muffin after devouring it just like her father. She got chocolate all over her face and Taeyong had to help her with a napkin.

"Papa, I want more!" She pleaded with a pout as Taeyong struggled to clean off his daughter, now jumpy from all the sugar she just ate.

"We'll go to the bakery tomorrow, alright?" Taeyong reasoned, trying to steady his daughter.

Yura jumped up with joy, throwing her arms around his neck.

"Yay! More yummy sweets in my belly soon," the four year old squealed. Taeyong couldn't help but laugh, not caring about the little bit of chocolate on his shirt.

They stepped out of the car, Yura slipping her tiny hand into her father's.

The father and daughter walked in, the wind chimes ringing just like last time causing Yura to look back.

"Papa! Bell chimes," she pointed, excitedly.

"I know baby," Taeyong smiled, pulling her along.

Yura didn't say a single word as she gazed at the bakery in awe, her big sparkly eyes shining under the bakery lights.

They made it just on time. There was no line and right there in front of the cash register was Jaehyun, looking like he was going to melt at the sight of Yura.

Jaehyun gasped, "Is this your daughter?"

"Yup. She's a curious little one," Taeyong said. "Also has a big sweet tooth like her papa."

Yura was still too busy admiring the bakery's decorations to notice they were talking about her.

"Awe, how cute," Jaehyun cooed. "How was the muffin and cannoli from last time?"

"To die for. The best I have tasted, in that says a lot considering I've traveled the world," Taeyong admitted.

"Wow, thanks. I actually made them myself," Jaehyun revealed.

"Really?" Taeyong questioned and the baker simply nodded. "Well, I'm not all that surprised. You were always a wonderful baker."

"So, I'm guessing you'll be ordering the same as last time then?"

"I'll order another muffin for Mrs. Yura here," Taeyong crouched down and poked her cheek causing the four year old to finally give the baker attention, waving in glee. Jaehyun waved back with just the same amount of energy.

Taeyong raised back to his full height. "I wanted to try something different."

"Okay, uh, how about a strawberry cheesecake?"

"Sounds splendid."

"Alright, I'll get your order ready-"

"Hi, Mr. Baker, I'm Yura," the four year old said loudly just so Jaehyun could hear her. "This is my dad. I really liked the muffin you made. It was sooo delicious."

Jaehyun and Taeyong chuckled at Yura's cuteness.

"Why thank you, Yura. My name is Jaehyun," he leaned over the counter to shake Yura's hand. "Would you like another one?"

Yura looked like a bobblehead with the way she nodded her head.

"Okay, it's coming right up.”

Taeyong paid for the sweets before sitting down at a table near the window. 

Yura focused on the movement outside as Taeyong tapped his fingers to the tune that was playing inside the bakery. 

"Papa, look," Yura pointed at something outside,"It's a bird!"

Taeyong turned toward the object of his daughter's attention. It was indeed a bird, a blue bird to be exact, sitting on top of a tree and making a nest.

"That's right, Yura," Taeyong leaned down. "Do you want to know a secret?" he whispered, covering a side of his face.

"Yes!" his daughter clapped with excitement.

"Do you see the nest it's making?"

Yura looked at what her father was talking about before humming.

"It's going to lay eggs soon and they're going to hatch little baby birdies," Taeyong said.

Yura's eyes widened and she covered her mouth in shock.

"Really?" she whispered. Taeyong nodded and she gasped. "I can't believe it."

"I know, it's crazy, right?"

Yura continued pointing out fascinating things as they waited for their muffin and cheesecake to arrive.

After a good game of I Spy, a certain baker was making his way over to their table.

"A strawberry cheesecake for Mr. Taeyong and a dark chocolate muffin for princess Yura," Jaehyun placed down their sweets with grace and a dimpled smile.

"I'm a princess," Yura cheered.

Jaehyun bent down so he was eye level with Yura, "Yes you are and an adorable one at that."

"Thank you Mr. Jaehyun," she said, giggling.

"You're very welcome," Jaehyun booped her nose before standing up. "Let me know if you guys need anything."

"Okay. Thank you, Jaehyun," Taeyong said.

"No problem," and the baker walked away.

Taeyong picked up his fork and took a bite of his cheesecake.

It was delightful.

The cheesecake was so creamy and the strawberry was very fresh. God, how did Jaehyun do it?

He stopped eating for a second to take a look at Yura and once again, she was almost inhaling the muffin. 

"Yura, slow down sweetie, your muffin isn't going anywhere," Taeyong chuckled.

"Yes it is, papa," Taeyong tilted his head at his daughter's remark. "It's going in my belly."

Well, she wasn't lying.

They finished their oh-so-sweet desserts, rarely talking in between, and were cleaning up throwing away their trash when Jaehyun made his way back to their table.

"How was it?" he implored.

"It was yummy!" Yura said a little too loudly, making people turn their heads, whispers and giggles filled the bakery. Taeyong put a finger over his lip, gesturing her to be quiet.

"You're so cute," Jaehyun squealed. “Taeyong, how do you deal?"

"I'm immune to it I guess," he said nonchalantly. "The cheesecake was also very yummy."

"Oh, that's good to hear," Jaehyun wiped at his forehead. "Believe it or not but cheesecake is one of the desserts I have the most problem making. It could go two ways; it either comes out very good or very bad. No in between, sometimes I stay up all night trying to perfect it."

"It came out perfect, no complaints from me," Taeyong reassured.

"Are you guys about to leave?"

"Yes, I have a few things I need to sort out at the house," Taeyong said.

Yura turned to her father and clung onto the bottom of his jacket, "No," she whined, "Can we stay a little longer, Dad?"

She jolted out her bottom lip and batted her eyelashes, giving him baby doll eyes.

Taeyong sighed, "We can't, sweetie. Maybe another day."

Yura let go of his coat and crossed her arms.

"Hey, don't act like that. I promise we'll come again and will spend as much time as you like," Taeyong promised.

Yura shook her head, arms still crossed.

Taeyong really didn’t have time for one of her tantrums.

Jaehyun, who had been watching the exchange silently, took off his apron and crouched down. "Don’t be sad. How about we make a deal, hmm?"

Yura listened tentatively.

"I'll give you another dark chocolate muffin if you turn that frown upside down," Jaehyun looked at Yura with promising eyes.

"I just want to stay here longer," she said saddened.

"I know, but your dad has things to do, Yura," Jaehyun comforted her. “You'll be back soon."

Yura didn't say anything before sighing, "You'll really give me another muffin?"

"Yura, ask nicely-"

"That's right," Jaehyun said, ignoring Taeyong's comment.

Her expression changed into a grin, "Okay."

"Great, I'll be right back with your muffin," Jaehyun got up, leaving his apron on a chair before coming back with a bag. He crouched down again and handed Yura her muffin. "Here you go, princess Yura."

"Thank you Mr. Jaehyun," she poked his dimple, causing Jaehyun to break into a wider grin.

He straightened up and turned towards Taeyong.

"The muffin is on me," he said.

"But-"

"It's fine, Taeyong," Jaehyun waved his hand. The wind chimes rang again and he put back on his apron. "I'll see you guys the next time you come here."

He started to leave when Taeyong remembered something.

"Jaehyun," he called. The baker looked back, puzzled. "Can I have your number?"

"You don't already have it?" 

"I switched out my phone and lost all my contacts.”

Jaehyun snorted, before pulling out a notepad from his pocket and writing down his number. He tore off the note, stuffing the notepad and pen back into his pocket before walking up to Taeyong and handing it to him as his fingers lightly brushed Taeyong’s.

"Here you go,” 

The baker was on his way to the counter when Taeyong stopped him again.

"You can come over sometime, um, if you want. We should catch up and I know Yura would love having you as company," Taeyong said. His daughter beamed, agreeing with her father.

"Sure. How about this Thursday?" Jaehyun questioned.

"Sounds like a plan."

  
  


There's a knock on the door, resonating throughout the whole house.

Taeyong, who was getting the ingredients out for their meal, halted what he's doing to answer the door.

When he opened the door, he was greeted by Jaehyun with two bags in his hand.

"Hey, I brought some treats from the bakery," Jaehyun said, wiggling the bags in front of Taeyong's face. "A dark chocolate muffin for Yura and a brownie just for you."

"You didn't have to, Jae," Taeyong said apologetically. Jaehyun was giving them free food, extra money he could have in his pocket.

"Taeyong, it's fine, really." 

Jaehyun made his way into the house, handing the bags to Taeyong and putting his coat on the coat hanger as he looked around. "Wow, the place is nice and very spacious too. I love the decorations."

"Thank you," Taeyong smiled. He closed the door and went back into the kitchen, setting down the bags on the table. 

"Where's Yura?" 

"She's in her room, probably watching TV or playing on her tablet," Taeyong took out the rest of the ingredients and spice he would be using. "Yura! Jaehyun's here."

In a matter of seconds, the pitter-patter of little feet made its way into the livingroom and a gasp could be heard.

"Mr. Jaehyun! What are you doing here?" Yura shrieked, stopping a few steps before the man.

"It's Thursday. Remember I said I would come over?" Jaehyun ruffled her hair.

"Oh, yeah. I forgot, sorry," Yura pouted.

Jaehyun chuckled, "It's okay. I got you something. "Do you want to see what it is?"

Yura jumped up and down, clapping her hands, "Yes please."

"Okay, follow me," Jaehyun led the way to the kitchen with the four year old right in tow.

He grabbed the bag with DCM written on it (Dark Chocolate Muffin) and handed it to Yura.

She opened it slowly, squealing when she saw what was inside.

"Another dark chocolate muffin," she giggled. "Thank you Mr. Jaehyun."

"You're welcome."

"Did you get something for papa?" 

"Of course I did," Jaehyun picked up the bag with Taeyong's brownie. "I couldn't get the princess something without getting her father something to, that wouldn't be nice."

Yura nibbled on her bottom lip before speaking up, "No, I think papa wouldn't mind. You can keep bringing me muffin if you would like."

"Yura," Taeyong exclaimed.

"What? You said you wanted to eat healthier. Sweets aren't healthy.”

"Cute and smart," Jaehyun laughed, looking at Taeyong. "I wonder who she got it from?"

"I tink I got it from my papa," Yura said flatly, taking a bite out of her muffin.

Taeyong's face heated up. He didn't say anything and focused on taking the pots and pans out the cabinets.

"Papa, I'm going to eat my muffin in the living room," Yura said.

"Okay, baby," Taeyong looked up, "Don't make a mess."

Yura mumbled something, words unable to decipher because of a stuffed mouth. The four year old left the kitchen, leaving Jaehyun and Taeyong alone.

"So, Mr. Chef, what are you making?" Jaehyun wondered. He walked over to Taeyong and rested his elbow on the counter.

"I wasn't sure what you would like, so I decided on something easy," Taeyong faced Jaehyun and grinned, "Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo."

"Lovely, it's been a while since I've eaten pasta," Jaehyun thought for a while as Taeyong began boiling water before he spoke. "Could I help?"

The chef turned around, "You're the guest, Jae. I wanted to make something for you."

"I know and you still can, but I just want to help," Jaehyun sighed. "Remember back then when you would come over to our house and I would be baking. You would help me even though you were the guest."

"Well- I-" Taeyong didn't have a solid reason to say no to Jaehyun. "Uh, fine."

The younger beamed.

Taeyong was in charge of cooking the pasta while Jaehyun cooked the chicken.

The older added salt to the water and added the pasta as soon as the water started to boil.

Jaehyun was slicing the chicken up into even thick pieces and seasoned it. He placed the chicken on a nicely buttered skillet and let it cook for a few minutes before flipping the chicken over to cook on the other side.

While the younger was doing all this, Taeyong had drained the pasta noodles and had added a bit of olive oil. He poured two jars of Alfredo sauce and waited for Jaehyun to finish cooking the chicken.

Once the chicken was done, Jaehyun added it to the pasta and mixed everything together well. 

It smelled amazing.

Taeyong probably wouldn't have finished this quickly if it wasn't for the younger.

Wanting to add something else to the dish, Taeyong took out some garlic bread and popped it into the oven. The Chicken Alfredo was now done and the bread had only a couple more minutes of cooking.

Jaehyun wiped his hands off with a paper towel before slumping against the counter.

"I am starving," he said.

"We'll be eating soon, I'm sure you can hold off for a few minutes," Taeyong snickered.

"We would have been eating right now if you didn't want to make garlic bread," Jaehyun whined.

Taeyong rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, "Oh whatever. You can if you want but don't think about touching  _ my _ garlic bread."

"I guess I could wait," Jaehyun admitted.

"That's what I thought."

After a few minutes went by with Jaehyun playing patty cake with Yura in the living room while Taeyong ate his brownie (yes, dessert before dinner), the garlic bread was done.

Taeyong called Jaehyun and Yura over to the dinner table, setting the plates and utensils down for them.

They sat down as Taeyong watched the last bit of dishes.

"Yura, do you want pasta?" Taeyong asked.

The four year old shook her head, "No. Just garly bread."

Ah. Hi daughter really was the cutest.

"Okay, one garlic bread coming right up for Yura," Taeyong announced.

He turned around and was surprised to see his daughter not sitting in her regular seat, right next to her father, but instead, right next to the baker.

Taeyong walked up to her, placing her food down on her plate with a pout.

"I thought you sat next to papa?"

"I can’t sit next to Mr. Jaehyun just for today?" Taeyong was sure his eyes were playing tricks on him, because Yura looked like she was on the verge of tears. He almost lost it when he looked beside her and Jaehyun was mimicking, no,  _ mocking _ his pout.

He scuffed, "Alright."

Yura cheered. "Yay, thank you papa."

Taeyong turned back around, fixing his plate of alfredo.

"Where's my food?" 

Taeyong craned his neck around to stare at the man who had just asked the question. 

Jaehyun still had a pout on his face, hands now under his chin and batting his eyelashes.

"What?" Taeyong questioned in disbelief.

"I'm a guest. Shouldn't you make a plate for me?" Taeyong was going to ignore him, but Jaehyun knew just how to get to him. "Right, Yura?"

"That's right!" she shouted.

Taeyong couldn't believe this. 

His daughter was ganging up against him.

_ Traiter _ .

He squeezed his eyes shut, sighing. "Fine," he was met with an annoying smirk.

Everyone now had their food and only the sounds of people happily eating filled the house.

Yura got another slice of garlic bread and Jaehyun got another plate of pasta (this time fixing it himself).

Taeyong finished his food, placing his plate in the dishwasher and pouring him some sprite. He took Yura's plate and placed it in the dishwasher as well and wiped the crumbs she had on her face away with his hands.

"Papa, I'm sleepy," Yura said drowsy. "Can Jaehyun tuck me in bed?"

Jaehyun bursted into a coughing fit, the sound of his fork hitting the plate. Taeyong spritted over and patted his back, giving Jaehyun some of his sprite once the cough started to come to an end.

The younger took a sip of the soda, clearing his throat, "You want me to tuck you in bed?" he asked, surprised.

Yura hummed. She wasted no time in standing up and slipping her little hand into Jaehyun's. 

He looked at Taeyong, asking if it was okay and the chef whispered, "If it's what Yura wants."

As Taeyong tidied up the kitchen, Jaehyun followed the toddler to the back of the house where Taeyong and Yura's rooms were.

Yura’s room was decorated in different shades of pink and red with many dolls and stuffed animals (her favorite being unicorns). 

Her bed was the most eye catching part of the room, a pink canopy bed with a pink floral duvet and a pink drape. It was suited for a princess.

Yura crawled onto her bed, holding a stuffed unicorn tight to her chest as she waited for Jaehyun to pull the covers over her. 

He crouched down and carefully tucked her in.

"Thank you Mr. Jaehyun," the four year old said, trying to keep herself awake as her eyes started to droop.

"You're welcome princess," Jaehyun patted her head and stood up as she dozed off into dreamland.

He turned around and was met with Taeyong standing in the middle of the doorframe.

"It seems like my daughter really likes you," Taeyong said with feign jealousy.

"I am great with kids," Jaehyun shrugged.

Taeyong chuckled, "Come on, we have some catching up to do."

They sat in the living room, side by side with the TV on just for background noise so it didn't seem so quiet in the house.

Neither of them making a move to start off and the silence started to get almost unbearable.

Taeyong decided to take the lead, knowing Jaehyun wasn’t the best at starting a conversation. 

"So, you actually did it, huh? You have your own bakery," Taeyong said, the corners of his mouth turned upward.

Jaehyun shifted, letting out an airy laugh.

"Yeah. It didn’t happen the way I would have liked, but I did it,” Taeyong tilted his head, urging Jaehyun to continue. "After my parents' death during my senior year of high school, I chose not to go to college because we didn't have the money. I didn't have many options."

Taeyong forgot about that.

It was two years after he left his hometown when he got a call from Minhyun saying his parents got into a car accident and they didn't make it.

Taeyong wanted to hold him tight and tell him everything was going to be okay, but he couldn't. He was on the other side of the country and there was no way he would be able to fly out there anytime soon.

He left them his condolences and told Minhyun how sorry he was that he wouldn’t be able to be there for their funeral.

Jaehyun spoke again, his finger tracing the lines of Taeyong's couch, "I was lucky when Sweet Dreams Bakery opened up. I had been working at hotels and fast food places before them and, god, I hated it. The elderly couple that owned the place gave me the job and I couldn't be more grateful. All I had was a highschool diploma and they allowed me to help with their bakery."

Jaehyun laughed again, but this time, it seemed pained.

"I remember the first time I baked for them and their eyes lit up. They said I had a gift and they hadn’t met someone who could bake as good as me in years. I really owe it to them,” he shifted in his seat, still unable to look at Taeyong. "The couple gave the bakery to me when they started having health complications and they trusted me to keep the place up and running.”

"Wow, Jae," Taeyong was at a loss for words. "Well, I’m glad you still got to achieve your dream and they weren't wrong... you do have a gift."

The younger finally looked him in the eye, flashing him a lopsided grin, "Thanks." 

Taeyong glanced down briefly, rubbing his shoulder before looking back up at Jaehyun.

"I'm sorry that I didn't reach out," he admitted. 

"It's okay. You had a lot going on. And, you did kinda reach out, Minhyun told me everything you said to him." 

Taeyong nodded, still feeling like he could have done more.

"Enough about me," Jaehyun perked up. "Why did you move back?"

The dreaded question.

Taeyong sighed, slumping into the couch. He recited everything from meeting his ex to her completely losing it. Jaehyun didn't say a word the whole time, only placing his hand on Taeyong's and rubbing his thumb over the older’s knuckles as Taeyong got choked up a couple of times.

Taeyong was over everything, but it still hurt reminiscing the past.

Jaehyun spoke once Taeyong was absolutely finished, not wanting to interrupt.

"Oh Taeyong, I'm so sorry. That- that woman didn't deserve you and Yura," he said with irritation while still rubbing his thumb over the Taeyong’s knuckles.

"I believe things happen for a reason," Taeyong shrugged. "We just weren't meant to be. I can't be completely mad at her either, she gave me one of the best things I could ever wish for and that's my daughter. She means the whole world to me."

"Yong," Jaehyun cooed, leaning in to give Taeyong a hug. 

The chef tensed up at first, but relaxed into the hug and wrapped his arms around Jaehyun.

It felt oddly comforting like two pieces of a puzzle that fit just right.

Taeyong pulled away first, "Okay, enough about me and my failed lovelife," Jaehyun rolled his eyes playfully and let out a chuckle. “What about you, Jae? Tell me, are you seeing anyone?"

The chef nudged Jaehyun's shoulder and wiggled his eyebrows, the once tense atmosphere now gone and replaced with high spirits.

Jaehyun couldn’t stop laughing at Taeyong's antics as he started poking at his stomach.

"Come one. Who is it?" Taeyong urged.

"Okay, okay. Fine, I'll tell you," the chef stopped his movements, ears perked up. "I'm not in a relationship right now, but there is someone I have my eyes on,” Jaehyun admitted.

Taeyong felt like a teenager again, talking about crushes. He held onto the younger's hands, "Oh, come on. Give me more details! Do they live around town?" he kept prying.

Jaehyun could only giggle, it seemed like he was the older one out of the two. "Yes, they do. They're also really beautiful, probably the most beautiful person I've ever laid eyes on. Not only that, but they are really kind."

"Somebody is whipped," Taeyong said. "You have to get their number."

Jaehyun ignored the first part, "Who said I didn't have it already?"

The chef squealed, "Jung Jaehyun, or should I say Mr. Confident. I hope it works out for you."

Taeyong jumped up and hugged the baker, rocking him back and forth in excitement.

Jaehyun buried his face in the crook of Taeyong's neck, "I do too."

Taeyong bid goodbye to the younger, letting him take a good portion of the alfredo back home. They hugged for the third time that day and Taeyong felt like an enormous weight was lifted off his shoulder.

His friendship with Jaehyun was back to normal and he couldn't be happier.

  
  


The father and daughter duo continued to go to the bakery.

Jaehyun would give Yura her same dark chocolate muffin while surprising Taeyong with different menu items. The older was halfway through the menu now, trying all of the sweets and currently focusing on all the coffee flavors. 

The baker would sometimes sit at the table with them and eat a treat of his own, most of the time a lemon meringue pie.

They talked about many different topics and Yura would take turns with Jaehyun, playing games on her tablet.

Yura developed a soft spot for Jaehyun and truthfully, Taeyong didn't know how he felt about that.

It reminded him of how she used to be with her mother.

Taeyong didn't want to dwell on it too much, Jaehyun was just fond of his daughter and he made her smile.

Her happiness was all that mattered.

It was the weekend and Taeyong decided it would be a good idea to do something different.

He would be bringing Yura to his favorite park from when he was a kid. Jaehyun would be meeting them there, a secret he did not tell his daughter, and he texted Taeyong to let him know he just left his house.

After helping Yura put on her jacket, Taeyong zipped up his coat, making sure he had his keys. He placed three bottles of water and a frisbee in the car for their park activities.

“Why are there three water bottle?" Yura asked.

"Just in case we get really thirsty,” replied Taeyong.

They buckled up and made their way to the park.

Stepping out of the car, Taeyong grabbed two water bottles and placed the frisbee under his arm as Yura held her water bottle.

They held hands as they walked through the parking lot and right there was Jaehyun with a wide dimpled grin. Taeyong couldn't help but notice the younger dyed his hair a shade darker as the wind blew through it.

The light brown was nice, but he always thought Jaehyun looked even more handsome with darker hair.

Feeling the little hand wrapped in his loosened, Taeyong saw Yura running straight to Jaehyun and dropping her bottle along the way as he hauled her into the air and gave her a hug.

"Jaehyun!" she screamed happily. 

"Hey Yura," Jaehyun laughed. "You left your papa struggling back there.

Yura looked back and covered her mouth dramatically, "Oops."

Taeyong was struggling carrying the three water bottles and frisbee by himself, the items slipping out of his grip one by one and having to scrunch down to pick each up.

Jaehyun shook his head, giving Yura’s nose a little boop. She giggled.

Taeyong finally made it, dropping Jaehyun's water bottle in front of him, "That's for you." 

Jaehyun put down Yura to his drink that was on the grass, "Gee, thanks."

"I don't see you with anything in your hands," Taeyong said judging.

"You told me to stop bringing free food," Jaehyun defended.

"Whatever. Let's just have some fun."

They found a nice little area where they could play frisbee that was close enough to the playground.

While Yura played with other kids her age, Jaehyun and Taeyong had fun throwing the frisbee to each other.

Jaehyun was very athletic (and competitive), doing everything he could to catch the frisbee while Taeyong missed a couple of times.

One time Jaehyun threw the frisbee a little too fast, almost hitting Taeyong square in the face if only the older didn't duck just in time.

"Hey! You almost hit me," Taeyong yelled.

"It would have been your fault if it had hit your beautiful face. You should have been paying attention," Jaehyun yelled back, teasing.

"I was!" Taeyong crossed his arms.

"Uh huh, it looked like to me you were too busy ogling at my arms," Jaehyun smirked.

"What? You're out of your mind, Jaehyun," Taeyong snickered. He was not distracted, especially by Jaehyun's arms that were on full display after the younger took off his jacket before starting their game. 

He just didn't think a frisbee could go that fast.

"It's okay, I know I'm a catch," Jaehyun winked, pulling up his shirt sleeves to show off his whole arm.

Taeyong rolled his eyes, grabbing the object that almost cost him his face to hide the tinge of pink that stained his cheeks.

They played a few more times, Taeyong really getting the hang of it.

"There you go," Jaehyun cheered. "You're doing almost better than me."

The older snorted.

After their arms started to tire out, they sat down on the bench and drank a few sips of their water.

Yura was playing on the jungle gym with a few other kids, a jumble of chatter and laughter could be heard.

"That was fun," Jaehyun said.

"Yeah, even if you almost ruined my face," Taeyong quipped, looking at Jaehyun to see his reaction.

The younger was astonished, putting a hand over his heart, "I would never," he said in exaggeration.

They both laughed.

Taeyong skimmed over the park, not much had changed about it. There was some new playground equipment, but the placing of everything was the same. 

"I remember when we would come out here at night, just you, me, and Minhyun," Taeyong started. "We would play hide and seek or tag, see who could dangle the longest on the monkey bars, and who could swing the highest and then jump off the swing."

"Good times," Jaehyun said, clamping his hand down on Taeyong’s thigh gently.

"Yeah," Taeyong turned towards Jaehyun, "Do remember that one time you broke your arm? 

"Dude, don't remind me. I was in so much fucking pain," Jaehyun groaned.

"I was building a sand castle after not being able to stay on the monkey bars long enough and the last thing I remember is you dangling upside down, swaying your arms. It all happened so fast," Taeyong shivered. "The blood-curdling sound that came after you slipped and your screams haunted me for a good week."

The younger grabbed his arm, like he was reliving the pain all over again. "I told you not to remind me."

"Sorry, it just came to my mind."

"You were a big help though," Taeyong looked up at Jaehyun, the younger patting his thigh before removing his hand. "I remember you comforting me while Minhyun ran to get our dad. You told me everything was going to be alright and kept wiping my tears for me."

Jaehyun locked eyes with Taeyong, "You really did care for me, huh?"

"Of course I did and I still do," Taeyong squeezed his hand gently. "You're my friend, Jae."

A look of hurt spread across the baker’s face but went away as quickly as it came, a taut smile plastered on his face.

"So, what do you want to do after this?" he asked, carding his fingers through his hair.

Something shifted in the air, but Taeyong didn't focus on it.

"Hmm, taking a walk would be nice," he replied.

Jaehyun hummed, "Yeah."

"When you're ready, I'll go get Yura and we can start walking."

Jaehyun took a sip of his water, screwing the cap back on and putting on his jacket, "I'm ready, we can go now if you would like."

Taeyong looked at Jaehyun, sensing something was off but it probably was just in his head. "Okay, that's fine with me."

They played Yura's favorite game I Spy as they walked along the path that went through the park.

The four year old was in the middle holding her left hand in Taeyong's right and her right hand in Jaehyun's left (her idea). They guessed many different things from birds, insects, and even items people were wearing.

Taeyong went the easy route and only picked big objects for the two to guess while Jaehyun went for smaller and harder things as compared to Yura who focused on whatever caught her eye.

They played until they reached the end of the path, right at the entrance of the park.

He placed their empty water bottles into the recycling bin and looked at the time.

It was getting late.

He turned towards Jaehyun to bid his goodbye, but the younger had stopped him

"Let's go out to eat," Jaehyun blurted out. "There's this diner not too far from here and it would be a nice way to end the day."

Taeyong still had his mind set on going home, getting ready to decline when a little voice spoke up.

"Can we, papa?" Yura asked rocking back and forth on her heels, hands clasped together and jolting out her bottom lip whenever she wanted something.

It didn't help that Jaehyun was giving him a pleading look too.

He huffed, there they go teaming up against him again.

"Fine," he complied, being bombarded by his daughter in a hug as soon as he voiced his decision.

"Great. I'll send you the address and I’ll meet you there," Jaehyun said.

  
  


Not that many people were at the diner which was great for them since it meant they would be getting seated pretty quickly and they wouldn't have to wait that long for their food.

The waitress led them to their table, placing two regular menus down and a kids menu.

Yura sat down first, pulling her dad to sit down next to her.

Taeyong was, to say the least, shocked. 

It seemed like whenever Jaehyun was around, Yura gravitated towards the baker but she eagerly wanted to sit next to her father.

Jaehyun slid into the seat in front, taking off his jacket and putting it to the side before handing out the menus.

"Yura, you didn't want to sit next to Jaehyunnie?" Taeyong teased.

She shook her head, taking out the crayons from the crayon box that the waitress had left on the table.

"I always sit next to papa at restaurants. This spot is reserved only for you," she said and Taeyong broke into a smile.

"I'm your waitress for the day, Heejin," the waitress introduced. "The drinks are on the back of the menu. I'll let you guys take a look for a few minutes and I'll be right back.”

Taeyong and Jaehyun nodded.

"Papa, can I get a milkshake?" Yura asked with sparkling eyes.

"It's a little too late to be drinking that, baby," Taeyong said. "I don't want you to be up all night because of all that sugar."

Yura pouted, "Okay."

Jaehyun tapped at his chin, "Hmm, I think I’m going to get a milkshake."

Taeyong glanced up at the younger, "Jae… really?"

Jaehyun furrowed his brow, "Yeah, why not?”

"I- well, I don't know. I thought you would order soda.”

"I was going to but hearing Yura talk about wanting a milkshake made me want one," Jaehyun shrugged. "Haven't had a milkshake from a diner in years."

Taeyong nodded.

"Well I’ll just be getting soda,” he looked at his daughter. “What do you want Yura?"

"I'll get orange juice," Yura replied.

"Orange juice?" Taeyong questioned. Yura nodded, going back to coloring. "Okay."

"Hey, Yura," Jaehyun called and the toddler hummed, looking up at the baker. "I heard the kiwi lemonade is out of this world. Why don't you get that instead?"

The four year old's eyes widened.

"That sounds good," she turned towards her father. "I'll get that, papa."

"Alright."

The waitress gave them enough time to look through the menus and pick out the food that they wanted to order. 

Taeyong - a burger with lettuce and tomatoes with french fries, Jaehyun - a Philly Cheese Steak, and Yura - chicken nuggets.

The waitress came back and took the drink orders along with their food and took up the menus.

"Jaehyun, wanna play tic tac toe?" Yura asked.

The baker who was currently on his phone texting away, glanced up.

"Sure. Give me one minute, okay?" Jaehyun responded.

"Okay."

Jaehyun finished what he was typing and pocketed his phone.

"Texting that crush of yours?" Taeyong teased, giving a playful grin as he leaned close to Jaehyun.

"Maybe," Jaehyun smirked, placing his elbow on the table and resting his chin on his palm as he leaned in. "Are you jealous?"

Taeyong's expression dropped and he backed away,

"What? No! Why would I be jealous?" Taeyong asked, puzzled with a pounding heart.

Jaehyun kept glaring at Taeyong without saying a word, his smirk growing wider on his handsome face.

Taeyong wanted to squirm under Jaehyun's intense gaze but he was stuck frozen to his spot as the younger devoured him with his eyes.

The baker snapped out of whatever hypnotic trance he was in, licking his lips and backing away with a shrug, "No reason."

Taeyong exhaled, trying to calm his racing heart. His throat had gone dry and he prayed the waitress would be bringing their drinks soon.

Jaehyun’s expression changed into a warm grin as he focused his attention on Yura.

"Ready?"

Yura nodded, placing the crayon Jaehyun was going to use in front of him and turning the paper sideways so the both could see it.

"Should we play rock paper scissors to see who goes first?" Jaehyun asked. "Or do you want to go first?"

"Let's play rock paper scissors," Yura replied, hands already ready to begin.

"Okay, best two out of three."

Taeyong composed himself as he watched them play. Yura beat Jaehyun by throwing paper and rock.

"Yay! I won," she singsonged. "I go first. I'll be X and you be O, Mr. Jaehyun."

The two played three games, taking turns to see who could get three in a row first.

Yura won once while Jaehyun once twice.

"Okay, Jaehyun against papa," Yura chirped.

"Huh?" Taeyong asked, confused.

"Yeah, the winner goes against papa and Jaehyun won," Yura said.

"O-Okay."

Before they could start, their drinks arrived.

"One Mountain Dew, one chocolate milkshake, and one kiwi lemonade for you pretty girl," Yura smiled at the waitress's comment. "Your food will be done soon. Are there any sauces you might want?"

Taeyong looked at Jaehyun and Yura, shaking their heads in unison before answering, "No thank you."

"Alright, I'll be back shortly."

"Okay, now where were we," Jaehyun clapped. He gave Taeyong a crayon and pushed the paper towards the middle so Taeyong could reach it. "Rock paper scissors?"

Taeyong shook his head, "You can go first."

Jaehyun nodded. He drew his spot and looked at Taeyong once he was done.

Taeyong didn't budge and just stared at him with a confused look.

"What?" 

"Um, you drew a heart instead of an X or O," Taeyong pointed out.

"Oh, yeah. Just wanted to do something different," Jaehyun shrugged. "I didn't think it would bother you."

"No, it just threw me off, that's all," Taeyong said, "I mean, the Xs and Ox do get boring after while."

Jaehyun chuckled, "Exactly."

Taeyong focused back onto the piece of paper and drew in a X in the top left corner. 

The first game ended with a tie.

They made another board and this time Taeyong went first.

He drew an X in the middle followed by Jaehyun drawing a heart with T+J underneath it in the bottom row.

Taeyong narrowed his eyes at the baker but Jaehyun ignored him. The chef shook his head, continuing on with the game.

As the two adults battled it out, Yura was slurping away at her lemonade. The round ended with Jaehyun winning, getting three hearts in a row.

They played one more game and Jaehyun won again.

"Yes," Jaehyun cheered. "I am the tic tac toe master."

Taeyong snorted, "Pipe down. You're embarrassing us."

"Oh, is somebody being a sore loser?" Jaehyun wiggled his eyebrows, getting closer to Taeyong's face.

"No, you won fair and square but you don't have to make a big deal out of it," Taeyong rasped, not backing down and getting closer as well.

Jaehyun leaned even closer, the tips of their noses nearly touching, "Uh huh, well I think-"

"Here's your food," they moved apart quickly as the waitress brought their food out. Taeyong averted his gaze, looking anywhere else but the waitress and Jaehyun while the baker coughed and took a sip of his milkshake.

She gave Jaehyun and Taeyong weird looks as she placed their food down in front of them while flashing a grin at Yura.

"I hope you enjoy. I'll be back to check if you guys need anything," she announced before taking her leave, still eyeing the two judgingly.

The air surrounding was awkward, neither Taeyong nor Jaehyun wanting to move first. Luckily, Yura was there to save the day.

"Yay! Let's eat," she said happily, digging into her food. Taeyong and Jaehyun followed while making sure to avoid eye contact.

They were about halfway done with their meals, not much conversation happened as they were too focused on eating every last bit of their food.

Yura let out giggles to express how tasty the chicken nuggets were as she ate with a smile plastered on her face.

Jaehyun took big bites and was a fairly fast eater, only one-third of his sandwich left while Taeyong, on the other hand, was a slow eater and was taking his time to eat his fries and burger that was nearly as big as his hand.

Taeyong went in to take a bite of the juicy meat, letting out a noise of satisfaction once it hit his tongue.

He closed his eyes as the flavors bursted inside his mouth. The moment short lived when he felt something touch his face - a finger - wiping off the side of his mouth. Taeyong opened his eyes with his burger frozen midair as he stopped chewing, looking to see who the culprit was.

Jaehyun glanced at him briefly then looked away, wiping his thumb on a napkin.

Taeyong still sat there unmoving when Jaehyun spoke, "You had sauce on your face."

Taeyong suddenly found it hard to swallow, blinking a few times before he forced the food down his throat and tilting his hand to the side, "You couldn't have just told me that?" 

The corner of Jaehyun's mouth pulled up slightly, "Well it looked like you were really enjoying your burger and I didn't want to ruin the moment."

"Well, you did," Taeyong grumbled.

"Hey, I was just trying to help," Jaehyun threw his hands up, "Couldn't have your beautiful face with sauce on it."

"It's just sauce, Jaehyun," Taeyong said, getting tired of this conversation as he felt the tips of his ears up. He took a bite of his burger when Jaehyun didn't respond.

Yura and Jaehyun finished their food and were playing another game of tic tac toe when Taeyong had finished his remaining pile of fries. He had a few more bites to take of his burger but he was starting to get full.

He took a couple sips of his soda, hoping it would help with some of the bloating that he was experiencing.

Taeyong let out a contented sigh, and picked up his burger and got ready to take a bite when he felt something slowly rising up from his throat.

The softest burp was released from his mouth and the sounds of crayons writing on paper stopped, eyes on him.

Silence passed before Jaehyun and Yura filled it with laughter.

"Papa burped," Yura said, placing a hand over her mouth.

"Excuse me," Taeyong murmured, embarrassed and hiding behind his burger.

Jaehyun didn't help, muttering a "Cute," under his breath, thinking Taeyong probably didn't hear him which the older did and the heat made its way from his throat to his face, causing it to turn his cheeks a shade of pink.

When the two brought their attention away from Taeyong and back to their game, he ate as fast as he possibly could as he stuffed his face causing him to puff out his cheeks like a chipmunk. He made sure to chew thoroughly, not wanting to choke.

He took another sip. feeling absolutely stuffed as he finished his burger.

"Done?" 

Taeyong didn't realize Jaehyun was talking to him until the younger was tapping his hand. His eyes snapped up and all he could do was nod, feeling like if he opened his mouth it would lead to even more embarrassment.

Jaehyun nodded back, stacking up their plates and collecting their wrinkled up napkins and placing them to the side of the table.

The waitress came back asking if they would like dessert and they (Taeyong) politely declined.

She left them their check, saying she would be back to collect the money.

Taeyong began taking out his wallet when he noticed money was already placed on the table.

Jaehyun was slipping on his coat, attention elsewhere. Taeyong quirked his brow when Jaehyun's eyes flicked up to meet his in confusion.

"What are you doing?" Taeyong questioned.

"What do you mean?" 

Taeyong glanced at the money then back at Jaehyun which the baker did the same before glancing back up at Taeyong, still confused.

The chef scowled, "Why did you put your money down?"

"I'm paying," Jaehyun replied. "I'm the one that suggested going out to eat, so it would only be fair."

"Yeah, but you already give us your wonderful pastries for free nearly half of the time, so let me pay," Taeyong argued.

"I do that because I want to and it's fine, Yong. I can pay," Jaehyun insisted.

"No," Taeyong opposed, placing his money down and pushing Jaehyun's to the side.

"Yes," Jaehyun pushed his back, battling the older with a hard glare.

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

Jaehyun huffed, crossing his arms and slammed into the back of his seat. "You're so stubborn," he scoffed. "We can just split it and I'm not taking no for an answer."

Taeyong narrowed his eyes and clenched his fist. A beat passed before he spoke, "Fine."

Jaehyun mumbled something under his breath which Taeying couldn't hear but he didn't care. They paid their fair share of the deal (Jaehyun leaving a little bit more for the tip) and then they left.

They stood in the parking lot, Taeyong holding Yura in his arms as she laid her head on his shoulder having fallen asleep after the second game of tic tac toe.

Taeyong and Jaehyun stood only a few inches away, a little tense.

Jaehyun cleared his throat, "Today was nice," he said, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "It was a nice change from being in the bakery or just going to your house."

"Yeah, it was even if dinner was a little bit..." Taeyong trailed off which Jaehyun could only chuckle.

"Yeah... we should do it again," Taeyong glanced up, looking at Jaehyun who was looking at something in the distance. "Just the two of us."

"Go out to dinner?" 

Jaehyun's eyes flickered to Taeyong's, "Mmhm. Just the two of us... going out to eat... as, uh, friends."

"I would have to find a babysitter for Yura," Taeyong said absentmindedly, turning to look at his daughter softly breathing. 

"Minhyun could watch her," Jaehyun said. "He works early on the weekend."

Taeyong thought for a while, "Okay. Uh, we could definitely do that some time."

As Taeyong looked at Jaehyun's face, adorned with his dimpled smile and eyes swimming with an emotion he couldn't decipher, the thought of just him and Jaehyun going out to eat filled his stomach with a weird feeling and he didn't know why.

He didn’t want to focus on whatever was happening with his body so he unlocked his car and placed Yura in her carseat before turning around and giving Jaehyun a hug which must have caught him off guard because Taeyong could feel the younger tense up.

Jaehyun was frozen for a good two seconds before he snapped out of it, pulling Taeyong back in just as he was about to pull away.

Taeyong's breath hitched as Jaehyun held him tightly, the sound of his heart beating in his ears.

He wanted to close his eyes and bask in the warmth that Jaehyun was emitting, and he almost did, if not for Jaehyun unraveling from Taeyong.

A sharp pain shot through his chest through Taeyong’s chest but it quickly went away.

"Goodnight Taeyong," Jaehyun said, almost out of breath.

"G-goodnight Jaehyun," Taeyong uttered.

Jaehyun tucked Taeyong's hair behind his ear before getting into his car and driving off, the entire time Taeyong's heart threatening to stutter out of its ribcage.

He stood still in front of his car, trying to process the millions of things going through his mind and the flood of emotions that was surging through his body.

He got in the car, placing his head against the steering wheel as he tried to even out his breathing.

What the hell just happened?

  
  


Locking the events of Saturday night far far away to the back of his mind, Taeyong called Minhyun on Tuesday to see if he was free for the weekend.

Yura was playing with her building blocks, trying to stack them the highest that she could while Taeyong was in the kitchen, tapping his foot as he waited for his best friend to pick up.

Just as the line went through, Yura's building blocks tumbled over causing the toddler to emit a loud squeal.

"Quiet down, Yura. papa's on the phone," Taeyong shouted, and his daughter hummed. He cleared his throat, shuffling being heard on the other end of the phone.

"Taeyong?" Minhyun's voice was raspy like he just woke up even though it was late in the afternoon.

"Hey Min," Taeyong said. "What have you been up to?"

Minhyun yawned, still shuffling around. "Nothing much really, just working. The dentist office has been packed, you know, people getting fill ins for cavities, getting their wisdom teeth removed, or just coming in for their yearly cleaning. On top of that, I have a new assistant to watch over, so it's just been a lot."

Hearing that, Taeyong started to think that maybe it wasn't best idea to ask Minhyun to watch Yura for him on Saturday just so he could grab a bite with Jaehyun.

Taeyong opened his mouth to speak but eventually closed it when Minhyun spoke again, "How have you been? Jaehyun told me you've been going to the bakery frequently."

"I’ve been okay and yeah, I have," Taeyong said. "Jaehyun is a damn good baker."

Minhyun chuckled, seeming like the sleep was starting to wear off as his voice became clearer, "He sure is. Luckily, I'm his brother and I get to taste his baking before anyone else."

"Really?"

"Yup, I get first dibs on whatever I want," Minhyun said. "How's Yura?"

Taeyong glanced at his daughter who was now using her blocks to make different shapes before bringing his attention back to the phone call, "She's doing fine. I've been thinking about putting her into daycare during the weekdays since I'll be back working soon."

"Aww, I know she's going to miss you."

"I'm going to miss her too, but I'm thinking about working from home some days. If she was a little older, I would be alright with being away from her longer, but she's only four," Taeyong sighed. "Being a single parent is rough."

"I wish I could help you, Yong," Minhyun said, tone full of remorse.

"I know you would help if you could, Min. I'm fine, really. I'm starting to get used to it," Taeyong assured.

"Alright. I just wish you didn't have to go through raising Yura alone."

Wanting to switch the topic, Taeyong felt like it was a good time to bring up the main reason why he called Minhyun in the first place.

"Hey Min?" 

"Yeah?"

"...I have something to ask you," Taeyong could hear Minhyun moving.

"Mmhm."

"Well," Taeyong gnawed on his bottom lip. "Jaehyun wanted to go out to eat, and I was wondering if you could babysit Yura on Saturday for me."

"Just the two of you?"

"Yeah... I understand if-"

"Okay, I'll do it," Minhyun said without hesitation.

Taeyong was taken aback, "Um, wow, okay. Thanks."

"Yup, no problem. Have fun on your date," Minhyun chirped.

"It's not a date," Taeyong said flatly. "We're just going to hangout, and besides, Jaehyun has someone that he likes."

"Oh really?" Minhyun questioned, drawing out the end.

"Yeah, he told me," Taeyong confirmed.

Silence passed through the line, leaving Taeyong a bit puzzled.

Was it that shocking that Jaehyun liked someone?

Honestly, if Jaehyun didn't tell Taeyong that he was single, Taeyong would have thought the baker would have settled down already or at least have been dating someone for quite some time now, but he was still young. Twenty six wasn't old by any means.

It's just, with Jaehyun's looks plus his charming personality, it still amazed Taeyong that the younger hadn't found anyone yet.

Just when he thought Minhyun had forgotten about the call, he responded, "Hmm. Alright."

"That's all you're going to say?"

"Yeah, it wouldn't be the first time my brother had developed feelings for someone. I just hope this time he's happy. He’s been through enough heartbreaks," Minhyun sighed. "Anyways, I've got to go. I hope you enjoy the rest of your week and I'll see you Saturday."

Minhyun hung up before he could say goodbye.

_ He's been through enough heartbreaks. _

The memory of Jaehyun confessing to Taeyong emerged and all Taeyong could see was the saddened and pained look on Jaehyun’s face as he rejected him.

Taeyong rubbed his eyes, wanting to forget it. 

He meant it when he told Jaehyun to find someone that would make him happy and Taeyong hoped Jaehyun would be able to soon.

After Yura was well fed and bathed, Taeyong tucked her in bed and gave her a kiss on the cheek before he headed out for the bakery.

Not only did he want to get another cannoli, but he also wanted to tell Jaehyun that he would be able to have dinner with him on Saturday as planned.

Taeyong parked in front of the bakery, an hour before closing time like the first time he came there and exited his car. He wrapped his scarf around his mouth and neck, the weather starting to get a little cooler as autumn approached. 

As the chef walked in, the door chimes rang just the same whenever someone arrived. Taeyong didn't get far though, taking a couple of steps then halting due to the sight near the counter.

Jaehyun and a very beautiful girl with blonde hair were talking, the baker's eyes scrunched up and his boisterous laughter reverberated across the bakery. Their hands were interlocked over the counter, the only thing keeping them apart.

This must be the person Jaehyun was talking about.

Taeyong averted his gaze and a ripple of emotion was felt all throughout his body, stopping right at his chest seeing Jaehyun this happy, but it wasn't pleasant. 

It felt like someone was grasping at his heart, squeezing with all their might in hopes it would break into a million pieces and Taeyong wanted it to stop.

Didn't he say he wanted Jaehyun to be happy, so why was Taeyong feeling this way? 

Jaehyun's loud laughter boomed in his ears again and Taeyong cursed himself when his eyes flickered to the pair.

The baker came from behind the counter and the two were hugging, rocking from side to side. Jaehyun was smiling, whispering stuff into her ear.

Taeyong felt his heart rate increasing and his breathing became labored as his vision blurred. Not wanting to witness anymore, he turned on his heels and darted out of the bakery.

Shutting his car door and blinking away the unshed tears, Taeyong drove away, the pain still lingering in his chest.

  
  


Taeyong stopped going to the bakery after that.

Yura kept asking to go, not only because she wanted another muffin but she missed seeing Jaehyun. Taeyong declined every time, saying he wasn't feeling well.

After a while, Yura stopped asking, more concerned about her father's health which he reassured her was fine, just a slight headache due to stress.

Jaehyun had been trying to get in touch with him, calling every single day, sometimes more than once, probably to see if they were still doing dinner.

But Taeyong ignored all of his calls.

The morning after that Tuesday was hell. He woke up, eyes puffy and red rimmed with a gaping hole in his chest. His pillows were covered in dry tear stains, a sign that Taeyong had cried himself to sleep.

He laid in bed with a runny nose, sniffling as he tried to watch romcoms to brighten up his mood but it didn't work, leading Taeyong to think about a certain baker with dark hair, dimples, and a fit body.

Taeyong had pushed the thought of him falling for Jaehyun away every single time, not wanting to accept the fact that he had indeed fallen for the guy who had confessed to him before he left for college and Taeyong broke his heart.

There was no way Jaehyun still liked him, he thought.

He had broken his heart, and left so abruptly. If it was the other way around, Taeyong wouldn't have wanted anything to do with Jaehyun.

As he laid in bed for days, only getting up to use the bathroom or anything concerning Yura, he thought back to some moments with Jaehyun.

When they first saw each other after 10 years, Jaehyun was so welcoming. Taeyong could see Jaehyun was sincere when he told Taeyong he was happy that he was back.

The first time Jaehyun met Yura, Taeyong did not expect the younger to get on so well with her and it kinda made his heart soar seeing how sweet Jaehyun was to his daughter. Yura was a friendly four year old, but the way she latched onto Jaehyun was something he had never seen with anyone else before, except for one person.

The day Jaehyun came over to his house and offered to help cook was really sweet and their conversation really eased any worry that Taeyong had for the most part.

Playing frisbee with Jaehyun was fun even if the younger was a competitive ass, he still enjoyed it as he got to ogle at Jaehyun's arms the entire time.

At the diner, it was all too much; the staring contests, the tension while playing tic tac toe, Jaehyun wiping the sauce from the side of his mouth, Jaehyun calling him cute, and just so much more.

But the big moment was the hug.

The feelings that were awakened inside of him.

Taeyong didn't want to let go of Jaehyun when they were hugging simply because he felt like home.

He couldn't deny his feelings any longer, but he couldn’t do anything about it knowing that Jaehyun liked someone else and he already had his chance but let it slip away.

Taeyong moped around the house with his blanket wrapped around him. He knew he had to get a hold of himself, acting like someone had died when he was just distressed because the person he liked wouldn't return his feelings. 

He went back to lying in bed, phone on vibrate as he wanted for the heartache to pass.

Minhyun called on Thursday and Taeyong picked it up. His best friend said Jaehyun was worried about him since he wasn't picking up any of his calls, so Minhyun wanted to check and see if he was alright.

Taeyong told him the same thing he told his daughter, he just hadn't been feeling well but he would be fine.

Minhyun didn't ask about Saturday and Taeyong was relieved because he didn't know if you would’ve been able to make up an excuse.

Eventually, Minhyun told him to get well soon and hung up, leaving the chef with the desire to pick up his phone and call the baker, longing to hear Jaehyun’s voice but he decided not to.

  
  


Friday rolled around and Taeyong was starting to feel like himself again.

He walked into the kitchen, leaving his blanket behind to cook eggs and bacon.

Yura padded into the kitchen, giving him a hug from behind.

"Yay, papa is all better," Yura squealed. 

Taeyong turned around and lifted her off the floor, giving her a kiss on her nose.

"Yes, papa is all better now," he said, forcing a grin to adorn his face.

"No more lying in bed all day. You need to play dolls with me instead," Yura crossed her arms, an angry pout on her face.

Taeyong tittered, "Alright. Later, okay? Let's eat breakfast first."

She nodded, giving her father a hug and a kiss on his cheek.

_ Papa is all better. _

Except he wasn't.

There was still a throbbing pain in his chest that would not go away.

After playing dolls with Yura for an hour, Taeyong went to lie back down. His phone lit up, and he took a glance noticing a few missed calls and text messages from Jaehyun.

He dismissed them and put on a random TV show on Netflix. A couple minutes in, he ended up falling asleep.

Taeyong woke up to the sound of someone knocking on the door. He groaned, not wanting to get out of bed.

The chef looked up, the TV show he put on was still running so he paused it, hoping he would be able to watch it from the beginning later.

When the person knocking didn't show any indication of going away, Taeyong finally forced himself out of bed, wrapped in his blanket like a caterpillar in a cocoon.

He sauntered out of his room, stopping to take a look in the hallway mirror. His hair was a mess, his eyes were puffy and his eye bags were visible.

Just as Taeyong was going to try to fix his hair, he stopped his hand midway and shrugged. He didn't care, he was tired and wanted to get this over with. He yawned, dragging his feet along the floor as he finally reached the door.

He pulled it open without any thought of who it could possibly be and the second he saw the mop of dark hair, he wished he hadn't.

Taeyong was frozen on the spot, holding the door handle tightly as he contemplated on shutting the door and turning back around to go back to bed.

He didn't though, and just stared at the younger who was pacing back and forth, mumbling under his breath.

When Jaehyun finally caught sight of Taeyong, he stopped and his expression was one of relief.

Taeyong tried to calm his emotions as his heart threatened to burst out of his chest. 

Barely a second passed by when Jaehyun embraced Taeyong, almost knocking the older off his feet.

The chef stood stunned, hand still on the door handle and the other one lying limp at his side, finding it hard to breath as Jaehyun was cradling his head and rubbing his back. His body was shaking, probably due to the cold.

"Taeyong, god… I was so worried,” Jaehyun said, voice quavering. "You weren't answering any of my calls or replying to my text messages. I thought something happened. Minhyun told me you weren't feeling well, so I decided to come over and check on you. I tried to let you know in advance, but I still couldn't get in touch with you."

Taeyong pushed the lump down that was rising in his throat. 

Jaehyun pulled away slightly, hands on Taeyong's waist. His brows were furrowed and his normally dimpled smile was replaced with a frown.

"Look at you," he tucked Taeyong's hair behind his ear and brushed a few strands away from his forehead, "Gosh Yong, you don't know how worried I was. Is everything alright? Are you feeling better? I thought I did something wrong and you were ignoring me."

As much as Taeyong tried to keep his emotions together, he couldn't. The dam broke, his tears non-stop flowing like rain in a downpour. He didn't mean to make the younger so worried, he was just devastated, but it shattered his heart hearing Jaehyun being so distressed because of him.

"Oh Taeyongie," Jaehyun said, pulling the older back into a hug as Taeyong hiccuped and trembled. "It's okay. I'm here now."

Taeyong shook his head, but wrapped his arms around Jaehyun anyway, not wanting to let him go even though he knew the dreaded fate that was to come.

He wanted to say something, but he couldn't as the words got stuck in his throat and only sobs emerged.

"Come one, let's get you in the house," Taeyong let out a yelp as Jaehyun hoisted him up, forcing him to wrap his legs around Jaehyun's torso. 

The baker closed the door, and sat them on the couch, coaxing Taeyong to lean on his chest.

Taeyong wanted to protest but Jaehyun was so comforting, rubbing his back as he left a kiss on top of his head, burying his face into Taeyong's hair.

The tears kept streaming down his face but he was no longer hiccuping though, his heart wouldn't stop beating erratically.

After a moment, he started to calm down and his face started to heat up when he thought about the position they were in.

Taeyong started pulling away, but Jaehyun wouldn't budge.

"Jae?" he croaked out. "I-I'm okay now."

"Taeyong, I have something to tell you," Jaehyun said firmly.

Taeyong felt his heart sink to his stomach. 

Here it was. 

The moment of truth. 

Jaehyun would tell him that he was dating his crush and Taeyong would get heartbroken all over again.

He felt his eyes stinging with hot tears, ready to fall yet again. He took deep breaths, closing his eyes and tightening his hold on Jaehyun, not wanting to give him away just yet.

Surprisingly, Jaehyun did the same.

A silence swept over the room, one tear rolling down Taeyong's cheek. He quickly wiped it away and rested his head on Jaehyun's shoulder, breathing in the slight hint of honey shampoo.

The younger sighed, rubbing Taeyong's back once more before loosening his grip, "Taeyong."

"Mmhm."

"I need you to look at me," Jaehyun said softly.

Taeyong shook his head, "I don't want to. I'm too comfortable." 

_ here in your arms  _

"Please, I... I need to get this off my chest," Jaehyun pleaded.

Taeyong thought for a moment then sighed, pulling away from Jaehyun.

"Hey beautiful," Jaehyun grinned.

Pink stained the chef’s cheeks, quickly averting his gaze. "D-Don't call me that."

"Why? You are beautiful, Yong. The most beautiful person I've ever laid eyes on."

Taeyong's breath hitched.

He shifted his attention back on Jaehyun, eyes widening.

"Yongie, beautiful Yongie, my first love," and there go the water works. "You're even beautiful when you cry, Taeyong."

Taeyong wanted to leave. He wanted to get up from Jaehyun's legs and lock himself in his room. How dare he toy with his feeling like this.

Jaehyun placed his hands on Taeyong's hips, holding him in place as Taeyong tried to wiggle away.

"J-Jae, please, I want to go to my room," Taeyong stammered in between sobs.

"You didn't even hear what I have to say," Jaehyun frowned, he wiped Taeyong's tears but they just kept falling.

"I don't want to. I- I already know what you're going to say," Taeyong hiccuped.

"Oh?" the baker tilted his head, questioning.

"I saw you on Tuesday with a girl. You guys looked very close, laughing and holding hands " Taeyong looked down at his fingers, the intensity of Jaehyun's gaze became overwhelming.

"Tuesday?"

"Y-Yeah, I came to tell you that Minhyun would be able to watch Yura, but I stopped when I saw you two together."

"She is really beautiful, Jae. I’m… happy for you," Taeyong forced out. His chest filled with pain, god, he just wanted this to be over.

"Taeyong, look at me." 

He shook his head.

"Yong," Taeyong was not budging. Jaehyun huffed, tilting the older's chin up and forcing them to lock eyes. "I like you."

Taeyong blinked, not sure he heard correctly. "What?"

"Yes, I like you. Actually, like isn't the right word to describe what I feel for you, Taeyong."

Taeyong furrowed his brow.

"I love you," Jaehyun confessed. "I have loved you for 10 years and have never stopped loving you."

"But... the girl…” Taeyong said, completely disregarding the fact that Jaehyun just said he loved him.

"The girl was a friend of mine that I met during my junior year of high school. She came back to tell me she finally proposed to her girlfriend of five years," Jaehyuh said flatly.

Taeyong felt like an idiot. 

"Oh- Wait… who was the person you had your eyes on?"

Jaehyun rolled his eyes in disbelief. "Taeyong, it's you. I literally just said I love you, oh my god. Were you not paying attention?"

Taeyong opened his mouth and then closed it looking like a fish.

He was an idiot.

The gears started turning in his brain and everything Jaehyun had just said came back to him in full force. 

"Y-You love me?" He croaked out. He put his hand over his mouth as the tears poured down again. Gosh, he was so fucking emotional. He gave Jaehyun a hug before he faced him again. "I- I-" 

Jaehyun cupped his face and chuckled, "Come on, Yongie. Spit it out."

"I like you, Jae, like a lot. Maybe not to the point of love yet, but, I do like you," Taeyong confessed. He could see a wave of shock passed Jaehyun before his dimpled smile made an appearance. 

Without a word, he smashed their lips together. It was quick, but still lit a spark inside of Taeyong. Jaehyun's lips were a little chapped, probably due to him standing out in the cold for quite a while, but they were soft nonetheless.

Jaehyun pulled away and began plastered kisses all over Taeyong's face, causing him to giggle and squirm.

"Jae," he whined.

"You don't understand how badly I've wanted you, Taeyong. After all these years, and, I don't know, it feels like I'm dreaming," Jaehyun said, stopping to stare into Taeyong's eyes like a lovesick fool.

"You're not mad at me?" Taeyong pouted.

"For what?" Jaehyun asked, tilting his head.

Taeyong gnawed at his lip and fiddled with his fingers, "For what happened 10 years ago?"

Jaehyun exhaled, "Taeyong, that was 10 years ago. I mean, it did hurt like hell having your heart broken by your first love," Taeyong frowned. "But I eventually got over it. One thing though, I did not get over you."

He kissed the top of Taeyong's head, "Maybe it was me being naive back then, but I had a feeling you would come back and I would finally get the chance to sweep you off your feet, and looking at us now, well I would say I did just that."

Taeyong smiled, still a little sorrowful. "I am really sorry for that. I thought you would end up hating me."

"I could never, Yong," Jaehyun said, giving Taeyong a peck on the lips. "I'm kinda glad you did. You had so much ahead of you. You were moving to a whole new country and going off to culinary school to do big things while I still was a kid in high school who needed to figure himself out. I think everything worked out the way it was supposed to in the end."

Taeyong nodded, wrapping his arms around Jaehyun's neck. "So, about that dinner tomorrow... are we still going?"

"Of course, we are," Jaehyun said. "as, uh, friends?"

Taeyong lightly pushed Jaehyun's shoulder and he laughed, "I'm kidding."

Jaehyun bent down and closed the distance between them again, the kiss much longer this time filled with passion.

Taeyong fisted his fingers in Jaehyun's hair as the younger brushed his tongue over his lips, begging for entrance which he gladly obliged.

They got lost in each other, too busy tasting every inch to notice the pitter-patter of small feet making their way out to the living room.

A small gasp was heard and they pulled away, looking wide eyed as they tried to catch their breaths.

"Papa? Mr. Jaehyun?" Yura had her hands over her eyes. "You guys were kithing!"

Taeyong detached himself from Jaehyun who was holding in laughter.

He dropped to a crouch and pried her hands away from her eyes.

"Yura?" Taeyong murmured. "Are you mad at papa?"

She looked at Taeyong then at Jaehyun before looking back at her father, "Are you happy?" 

Taeyong nodded.

"Then why would I be mad. I like Mr. Jaehyun and if he makes you happy then that's great, papa," Yura said. "Your happiness is my happiness."

"Yura," Taeyong pouty. What did he do to be blessed with the best daughter in the world? He opened his arms wide and hugged his daughter who gave him a kiss on the cheek in return.

Movement was heard in the back and Taeyong glanced to see Jaehyun crouched down next to him.

Yura pulled away and looked at Jaehyun, with her hands on her hips.

"Do you like my papa?" she asked, trying to look intimidating as possible but only ended up looking absolutely adorable.

Jaehyun nodded, "I do, so so much, Yura."

She took a moment before she spoke, her voice low as if she was scared to ask her next question.

"Do you like me?"

Jaehyun took no time to answer, "Of course I like Princess Yura."

Yura blinked, lips trembling before running to give Jaehyun a hug.

She gave him a kiss on the cheek as well, the sight almost brought Taeyong to tears for the nth time that day.

Jaehyun held out his arm, bringing Taeyong into the hug.

He couldn't wait to see what the future had in store for them.


End file.
